Bible Strands
1 Corinthians 16:8
But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Corinthian believers, outlining his travel itinerary after explaining he will not make a brief stopover (1 Corinthians 16:7). He states his plan to remain in Ephesus until the Pentecost festival arrives.
The words — The verb ἐπιμενῶ (epimenō) literally means "I will remain" or "I will stay," indicating a deliberate, prolonged presence. The phrase ἕως τῆς πεντηκοστῆς (heōs tēs pentēkostēs) establishes the exact temporal limit of that stay.
The thread — This timeline points to the Feast of Weeks outlined in Leviticus 23:15 and Exodus 23:16, and parallels the unified gathering of believers recorded in Acts 2:1. Paul’s schedule intentionally aligns his missionary work with the appointed Jewish festival calendar.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to see that ministry timing is governed by sacred appointments and divine opportunity rather than personal preference. It demands a practical response: remain where God has opened effective work, endure opposition, and move only when the appointed season arrives.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
Cross-references
- Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
- Exodus 23:16 You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.
- Leviticus 23:15 From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count off seven full weeks.
- Acts 18:19 When they reached Ephesus, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.
- 1 Corinthians 15:32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”